I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to helical antennas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved dual-band helical antenna having coupled radiator segments.
II. Description of the Related Art
Contemporary personal communication devices are enjoying widespread use in numerous mobile and portable applications. With traditional mobile applications, the desire to minimize the size of the communication device, such as a mobile telephone for example, led to a moderate level of downsizing. However, as the portable, hand-held applications increase in popularity, the demand for smaller and smaller devices increases dramatically. Recent developments in processor technology, battery technology and communications technology have enabled the size and weight of the portable device to be reduced drastically over the past several years.
One area in which reductions in size are desired is the device's antenna. The size and weight of the antenna play an important role in downsizing the communication device. The overall size of the antenna can impact the size of the device's body. Smaller diameter and shorter length antennas can allow smaller overall device sizes as well as smaller body sizes.
Size of the device is not the only factor that needs to be considered in designing antennas for portable applications. Another factor to be considered in designing antennas is attenuation and/or blockage effects resulting from the proximity of the user's head to the antenna during normal operations. Yet another factor is the characteristics of the communication link, such as, for example, desired radiation patterns and operating frequencies.
An antenna that finds widespread usage in satellite communication systems is the helical antenna. One reason for the helical antenna's popularity in satellite communication systems is its ability to produce and receive circularly-polarized radiation employed in such systems. Additionally, because the helical antenna is capable of producing a radiation pattern that is nearly hemispherical, the helical antenna is particularly well suited to applications in mobile satellite communication systems and in satellite navigational systems.
Conventional helical antennas are made by twisting the radiators of the antenna into a helical structure. A common helical antenna is the quadrifilar helical antenna which utilizes four radiators spaced equally around a core and excited in phase quadrature (i.e., the radiators are excited by signals that differ in phase by one quarter of a period or 90.degree.). The length of the radiators is typically an integer multiple of a quarter wavelength of the operating frequency of the communication device. The radiation patterns are typically adjusted by varying the pitch of the radiator, the length of the radiator (in integer multiples of a quarter-wavelength), and the diameter of the core.
Conventional helical antennas can be made using wire or strip technology. With strip technology, the radiators of the antenna are etched or deposited onto a thin, flexible substrate. The radiators are positioned such that they are parallel to each other, but at an obtuse angle to the sides (or edges) of the substrate. The substrate is then formed, or rolled, into a cylindrical, conical, or other appropriate shape causing the strip radiators to form a helix.
This conventional helical antenna, however, also has the characteristic that the radiator lengths are an integer multiple of one quarter wavelength of the desired resonant frequency, resulting in an overall antenna length that is longer than desired for some portable or mobile applications.
Additionally, in applications where transmit and receive communications occur at different frequencies, dual-band antennas are desirable. However, dual-band antennas are often available only in less than desirable configurations. For example, one way in which a dual band antenna can be made is to stack two single-band quadrifilar helix antennas end-to-end, so that they form a single cylinder. A disadvantage of this solution, however, is that such an antenna is longer than would otherwise be desired for portable, or hand-held applications.
Another technique for providing dual-band performance has been to utilize two separate single band antennas. However, for hand-held units, the two antennas would have to be located in close proximity to one another. Two single band antennas, placed in close proximity on a portable, or hand-held unit would cause coupling between the two antennas, leading to degraded performance as well as unwanted interference.